Edinburg taps finance guru as new schools superintendent

EDINBURG - Rene Gutierrez caught the eye of the Edinburg school board president because of his work in school finances.

What matters the most to Gutierrez is the students' academic success, he said.

Gutierrez, the assistant superintendent for administration and finance for the La Joya school district, will be introduced tonight by the Edinburg school board as the district's next superintendent.

The hire is pending signing and approval of his contract, which will also be discussed at the meeting.

Gutierrez, who worked as a teacher, counselor, principal and in school administration, said he brings a balanced resume to his new position.

With school districts facing financial uncertainty from declining property values, he said his experience in school finance and construction will be useful.

But his focus in his new job is ensuring students get what they need to be successful through the district's curriculum and instruction.

"For me, it's for kids to be academically successful," Gutierrez said. "That's our bottom line."

Gutierrez was selected last week as the district's new chief from among more than 40 applicants who originally applied for the job.

Gutierrez replaces outgoing superintendent Gilberto Garza, who announced his retirement in January after serving for three years and officially step down at the end of this month.

School board attorney Jacques Treviño said the board voted 5-2 Thursday to offer the job to Gutierrez over two other finalists.

The board is negotiating the final details, including the contract's length, amount of salary and the benefits, Treviño said. He said he was "very optimistic" that they would reach an agreement, perhaps as early as tonight.

Gutierrez stood out as one of the most well-rounded candidates with experience in the classroom and in school administration, said Omar Palacios, the school board president.

Gutierrez's background in finances pushed him to the forefront with Edinburg preparing to move into six new campuses and with a general budget crunch facing schools across the state, Palacios said. But concerned that Gutierrez might lack the background in curriculum to lead the district, Palacios grilled him on it during the interview.

Gutierrez responded to his concerns by arguing that the results from his first job as an elementary school principal in La Joya speak for itself.

When Gutierrez led Patricio Perez Elementary from 1998 to 2004, it was named a recognized school by the Texas Education Agency his first three years and an exemplarary school his last three years.

"It made me feel better about my decision because we're getting somebody who is good with numbers," Palacios said. "But he has experience and knows what it takes in curriculum. For me, that's what stood out."

Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government, Edinburg and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4424.